Apple Meringue

About the dish

From the dessert chapter of Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914). The dish is a typical festive dessert of the era: a sponge base with homemade apple compote built into a pyramid, covered with meringue and garnished with pistachios and almonds.

How to make it

1. 1

   The sponge base

   Whisk the eggs and sugar very airy (the original says ½ hour). Fold in the flour and the blanched, grated bitter almonds.

2. 2

   Bake the base

   Pour the batter into a greased and coated pan and bake in a moderately hot oven (about 180 °C (355 °F)) for about 25 minutes. Turn it out, cool it, and place it on a platter or cake stand.

3. 3

   Prepare the apples

   Peel the apples, cut them into 4–6 pieces according to size, and carefully cut away the cores. Place the pieces one at a time in cold water with the lemon juice added.

4. 4

   Cook the sugar syrup

   Cook the sugar and water for about 15 minutes and cool the syrup.

5. 5

   Cook the apples

   Place the apple pieces on a cloth to dry. Then cook them in the syrup a little at a time – do not fill the pot full. Test with a wooden pick and take the pieces up with a slotted spoon as they become soft, and add new pieces.

6. 6

   Reduce the syrup

   When all the apples are cooked, reduce the syrup until it is thick or almost jelly.

7. 7

   Build the dessert

   Arrange the cold apple pieces in a pyramid on the sponge and pour the reduced syrup over.

8. 8

   Meringue and garnish

   Beat the egg whites stiff, sift the powdered sugar, and stir it in little by little with a silver fork. Spread the meringue immediately over the apples and the cake. Blanch and finely chop the pistachios and sprinkle them evenly over, and stick the blanched, lengthwise-split almonds down into the meringue.

9. 9

   Dry the meringue

   Set the platter in a not-too-hot oven (about 150 °C (300 °F)) until the meringue is half-dry and pale golden-brown. Serve cold with vanilla sauce or whipped cream.